EPA's oral reference dose (daily oral exposure likely to be without an appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime) for isophorone is 0.2 mg/kg/day, and EPA's provisional reference concentration is 12 µg/m3.

The concentration of isophorone causing a 50% decrease in the respiratory rate of mice (a measure of sensory irritation) was reported to be 27.8 ppm.